Keys to Winning Wars
by MegaNerdAlert
Summary: A collection of journal entries from six key members of the War against Voldemort, as put together by the grandaughter of two of them. HG/MM


**Well, I did a photoshop thing as an example to one of the girls on the MM/HG group on facebook, and it ended up giving me an idea for a short fic. I was going to shelf the idea, for later, but when I went to write down the idea so I wouldn't forget, I ended up writing the whole damn thing. So, enjoy!**

* * *

Alison McGrane looked at the pile of books on her desk and sighed. Before her lay six volumes; six records of six lives and how each handled war. She had a month to piece them all together into some sort of chronological account, before the one hundredth anniversary of the Dark Wizard Voldemort's death. The last of the six key Order of the Phoenix members had died a year ago, and now that they were all gone, what they had to say about the greatest war Wizards had ever faced was open to the public. Alison had had access to two of the journals for quite some time, as they had belonged to her grandparents, and she'd known two of the others for all her life. The two she hadn't known would probably be the most telling about what war really was like, and Alison thought she'd read those last. She needed to start somewhere familiar. So, Alison picked up her Grandma Hermione's leather bound tome.

* * *

_"War is, I think, both a display of the worse mankind can be, and of the best. Extreme violence has a way of bringing out a person's true nature. I myself learned this lesson two wars ago, when my dear friend and lover fell to darkness, a path that I could not follow, how ever much I wished to. It simply wasn't in my character. There are some things that I could not live with, one of which was that they don't have lemon drops on the dark side."_

- From the Journal of Albus Dumbledore

* * *

_"I'd like to say that at twelve years old, I can't know anything about war, but while no battles with great armies like Professor Binns describes have happened, my adventures with Harry this term have shown me that a war is at least brewing. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named would have nothing less. We can try to stop him from rising again, and I do hope we can, but we must be prepared for an eventuality in which he does rise, and even children will be expected to do their part in fighting him. No adult would ever suggest that a child actually do any fighting, none that I know anyway, but I do think they expect us to do something, even if it's something as simple as doing our homework without them having to nag, as they don't need the additional stress."_

- From the Journal of Hermione Granger

* * *

_"Albus nearly took out a rib of mine this morning by elbowing my side when Miss Granger entered the Great Hall. A brilliant young lady, to be sure. She's only starting her second year, but I suspect she could pass half of the OWL exams right now if she wanted. Albus seems to think that Miss Granger is a lot like I was at that age. I disagree. She is far more like my younger brother Malcolm, may he rest in peace. My elder brother, Robert, had been heir to our father's title and seemed though he had been born to do just that. He was the epitome of regal, though his Lordship only lasted four years before he was killed, passing the lands and title to me. Malcolm was the studious one between us, having more knowledge in his left hand than I had in my entire body. Robert's death was painful, but when Malcolm joined him in the grave ten years later, I thought I might die. I miss him. Back to Miss Granger - yes, she is far more like Malcolm than I, and I do admit that draws me to her. Of course, I'm not inclined to form any sort of a relationship with her, rewarding that it may be in the long term, because I know war is brewing, and with war comes death. I do not think I could bear getting close to her and then having to say goodbye."_

- From the Journal of Minerva McGonagall

* * *

_"I'm not much for journaling, now and then I feel the need to just...vent. It's not like I have anyone else to talk to. In a perfect world, I'd have Lily here to talk to, but even if she were here, it wouldn't do much good, as the thing I most want to rant about right now is Harry bloody Potter. Her son. I had mixed feelings about him when we first met, when he arrived at Hogwarts two and half years ago. He has Lily's eyes, but other than that, he's the spitting image of James (the prick). I still don't understand why she took up with that arrogant bastard, and doubt I ever will. I suppose it's a good excuse as any not to get close to the boy, because he's so like his father. I couldn't have stood it if her son was like her, and I took him under my wing only to lose him to the bloody war that is looming. Voldemort will return, Albus assures me. When he does, the last thing I need is someone that the bastard can use against me."_

- From the Journal of Severus Snape

* * *

_"Hermione has talked me into keeping a journal, since I'm the youngest contestant ever in the TriWizard Tournament. I don't really have Ron to talk to right now, so I guess journaling will have to take his place for now...since he's being a total prat. I hope he comes around. Dumbledore said that Ron reminds him of himself, when he was that age. I can't imagine the Headmaster being a prat to his friends, but I'll try to believe it, if that means that Ron will come around, maybe even one day become as great as the Headmaster is. When things are really bad, sometimes hope is all you have left to hold on to."_

- From the Journal of Harry Potter

* * *

_"The Order has been reactivated. It was a bittersweet moment when I made the announcement. Minerva expressed feeling the same. It will be joyous to see many old friends from the last War, but it's rather despairing to think that the start of a war is what has brought us together. Severus is back under cover, and rather bitter about it. I don't really blame him, but he can do what no other can; offer an inside look at the enemy. Tom's forces are growing quickly, much more quickly than last time. Like the Order, Death Eaters are reuniting after long being estranged. I almost feel bad for them. We who fought for the light were able to mingle with our comrades in arms during the years between this war and the last, while those who fought for Tom had to be very careful of who they were seen with. When you fight to kill, one tries not to think about the fact that it is another person with whom you do battle, and it's sometimes hard to think about how your enemies have spouses, children, hopes and dreams for whom they fight. The greater good has too many casualties."_

- From the Journal of Albus Dumbledore

* * *

_"Self loathing is a part of war. I've known that for decades. You hate yourself for how you hate others. You hate yourself for taking away lives. You hate yourself for being the reason some of the children you teach are orphans. Self loathing is nothing new to me, but today I came to the startling realization that I've fallen in love, and that causes me nothing but despair. I despair that love would find me years after I thought I'd never love again, and I despair that it would come in a time of war, when everything is uncertain, including whether someone will live, or die. War is not a time for romance. Lust, yes. Many a child was born in times of war because two people coupled to release an insurmountable amount of grief and stress. Romance, however, is never on the minds of those fighting in a war. No one wants to risk their heart when they are already risking their life. It's just too much. That said, I sit here with a glass of scotch trying to figure out how I unknowingly gave my heart to a seventeen year old. Even if she is of age, I cannot bring myself to pursue, or even to confess to her. I hate myself for feeling as I do, both because she is a student under my care, and because I know that my attention should not be divided. Albus is weak after the whole business on the Astronomy Tower last night, and he needs me to give my whole attention to the Order right now. Perhaps, if we both survive this war, I shall find the courage to confess my love to Hermione Granger."_

- From the Journal of Minerva McGonagall

* * *

"I've made a mistake. A huge mistake. Bill said, after a lecture mum would have been proud of, that I ought to write it down so I didn't bloody do it again. So, here I am. I left Harry and Hermione out in the woods searching for the bloody horcruxes. I may not be the chosen one, like Harry, and I may not be brilliant, like Hermione, but I like to believe that I do offer something those two can't to the war effort. Or at least, I did. I'm not so sure now. Who needs an idiot who ditches on his friends when they need him most? If there's one thing I've learned in this war, it's never too late to make new friends, and even if Voldemort were to kill my entire family (Merlin forbid!), and kill Harry and Hermione (also Merlin forbid!), that I would keep fighting. Fighting for freedom, but more than that, fighting for friendships that are, or have yet to be."

- From the Journal of Ron Weasley

* * *

_"Poppy says Nagini got me good. I'm in the hospital wing, and I am dying. She stopped the bleeding, but there is no antivenom to stop the poison coursing through my veins. Most people would spend their last hours of life with family and friends, but I have none of the former, and few of the later. Albus was here a while ago, and Minerva came down a bit later. Poppy says that Potter wanted to visit, but I told her that he was to be admitted over my dead body. Quite literally. That said, I feel inclined to write down my final thoughts for posterity sake. Of all people, I have seen the cause and the cost of war. The cause of all wars, this one being no different, is the drive for power. Everyone wants power. It's a rare case when someone has enough power to actually do anything, and rarer still that what they choose to do with that power is something that many others will stand and fight against. So far as the cost… The cost of war is, simply put, lives. My death, and the deaths of others who fell before me, is just one way lives can be stolen away in the pursuit of power. Harry Potter's life was stolen before he was old enough to walk, his parents killed in front of him. Neville Longbottom, while not a war orphan in the typical way, lost his parents to insanity. My life was stolen by a damning tattoo. I could list example after example of how war costs lives, but I think I've made my point. Buildings can be rebuilt, but a broken heart never heals. People don't heal, though they always try to pretend otherwise, when they see their sister raped in front of them, or their entire family is killed, or the love of their lives is murdered. If people can't heal from things like that, I suppose it begs to question why we bother fighting at all, after seeing a certain amount of ghastly things like that. The answer to that is also lives; the lives of future generations, who if they are very lucky, will never know the atrocities that came before them."_

- From the Journal of Severus Snape

* * *

_"I was asked this morning what the key to winning wars is. My answer, was that there is no one key. There are many of them, all attached on a ring of love, binding them together in the fight to come. Some call me a great tactical thinker, but I disagree. Of my many talents, war tactics never were my strong suit. I lack a certain...passion for vengeance which is required to be a cutthroat general. I left the better part of our attack plans in the hands of those like Severus Snape, and Alastor Moody. It saddens me that even the master tacticians of this war could not save themselves. My gift was that I bring out the best in people. I'm not even sure how I do it. It's a natural talent, one that I look forward to nourishing in young Ronald Weasley, who is so like me in that regard. I often wonder if he thinks that his part in the Golden Trio is not important. I believe that he would be wrong in thinking so, as it was he who, despite some bumps in the road which I wholly relate to, ultimately held Harry's head up high. Harry would have fought for young Hermione's sake, without question, but I think his real drive in this war was to protect Ron and the rest of the Weasleys, who have been the family that he never had. Harry and Ron were more than friends - they were brothers. I know that with my own brother, even the death of our sister could not keep us estranged for long. And had I needed him even whilst he was angry with me, I have no doubt that he would have come to my aide, albeit grudgingly. Harry and Ron are much the same."_

- From the Journal of Albus Dumbledore

* * *

_"The war is finally over. Snape died this morning, which led to a very interesting conversation with Minerva. I've known her for years, and have even come to love her (not in the friend sort of way), but I could never have predicted what she said to me this afternoon. She loves me too. Minerva pulled me aside and said that Snape's death was a reminder to her that life is short, war is long, and the time in between is precious. Then she said that if I were interested, she would like to take me out on a date, because she has come to love me. I don't know how much she loves me, but I do hope to find out when we get dinner this weekend. She claimed that her bold proclamation was an effort to live in the moment, but I hope that she is also interested in living for tomorrow. The moment may be a wonderful thing, filled with passion and excitement, but the key to a war, the key to life, I think, is living for the tomorrow and all that might be wonderful about it."_

- From the Journal of Hermione Granger

* * *

**I am honestly not sure how I feel about this piece. What do you think?**


End file.
